CCE To Hold Small Fruit Meeting Monday

PORTLAND – Cornell Cooperative Extension announces that the sixth annual Small Fruit Meeting will be held at the Cornell Lake Erie Region Extension Laboratory facility in Portland (6592 W. Main Road). The meeting will run from 1-3:30 p.m. on Monday. This meeting is for all current or prospective small fruit growers in Western New York.

Four presentations will be given on various topics of interest to the small fruit grower. Juliet Carroll, Fruit IPM coordinator with the New York State Integrated Pest Management Program of Cornell, will present information about the spotted wing drosophila, an invasive fruit fly that arrived in New York in 2011. spotted wing drosophila has the ability to directly infest sound fruit, especially blackberries, raspberries, blueberries, elderberries, and to a lesser extent cherries, plums, and grapes. Major losses have occurred in late summer and fall berries in New York. Carroll will cover biology of the insect, management tactics, and monitoring techniques.

A brief overview of these small fruit crops and available production resources for them will be presented.

Virginia Carlberg, community educator with Cornell Cooperative Extension of Chautauqua County, will briefly present information on Cornell’s new Berry Farm Business Summary Program, benefits of participating, and how to get involved.

Sharon Bachman, New York Invasive Species outreach educator, will present information on wild parsnip, a nonnative plant that poses a danger to people’s health.

This could be of particular concern to growers who offer a u-pick berry patch to customers. Participants will learn how to identify the different stages of the plant and best practices for removing them from the farm.

For more information about the Small Fruit Meeting, contact Carlberg at 664-9502, ext. 202 or email vec22@cornell.edu. Registration is requested ASAP. The meeting is free of cost to all Cornell Cooperative Extension enrolled members; non-enrolled participants are requested to pay $10 per person. Cornell Cooperative Extension provides equal program and employment opportunities. Accommodations for persons with special needs may be requested by contacting Cornell Cooperative Extension ASAP.

The Agriculture Program is one of many programs offered by Cornell Cooperative Extension of Chautauqua County. CCE-Chautauqua is a community based educational organization, affiliated with Cornell University, Chautauqua County Government, the NYS SUNY system, and the federal government through the United States Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture. For more information, call 664-9502 or visit our website at www.cce.cornell.edu/chautauqua. Cornell University Cooperative Extension provides equal program and employment opportunities.